Kieran Nurdin, one of our brilliant farm workers here at Jamie’s Farm and a care-experienced young person since the age of 7, is embarking on an epic 320-mile walk between our farms to raise money for young people much like him.
Over 18 days, 22-year-old Kieran will walk from our Hill House Farm headquarters just outside Bath to our farm in Skipton, North Yorkshire, passing through our sites in Monmouth and Hereford along the way.
Kieran’s adventure will take him through remote countryside, along ancient drovers’ tracks and through the Wye Valley and Malvern Hills, averaging 20 miles a day across all terrains in all weathers and exploring farming landscapes across the UK.
He is walking in support of our Challenge For Change Appeal, our most ambitious fundraising appeal to date, which aims to raise £140,000 in just three weeks to fund the expansion of our residential programmes and reach more people young people across the UK.
Kieran will be supported on his walk by different members of our team, including our co-founder Jamie Feilden, and he’ll also meet some of the young people who have benefitted from our unique residential programme.
Every donation made between the 6 to the 24 June will be doubled through match funding – meaning we need to raise £70,000 in donations to hit the £140,000 target.
Kieran says: “I’m doing this walk because I love Jamie’s Farm. It has changed my life.
I can’t wait to walk with other staff from Jamie’s Farm and reach the finish line. I am excited to do a big challenge to raise money, and I hope people can give generously to the Challenge for Change campaign to help us support more young people than ever before.”
Beccie, Kieran’s foster mum, added: “Over the 3 years Kieran has been helping at Jamie’s Farm, he has thrived and flourished beyond recognition. He has grown in confidence and independence alongside his sense of humour, which is now almost as big as his smile!
“Throughout his life, Kieran has had to overcome so many huge challenges. However, at Jamie’s Farm he has found his tribe and can be true to himself, allowing him to grow and develop in the most positive way. He’s living the dream.”
Transforming outcomes for young people facing challenges
Our research shows that 68% of young people referred to our residential programme showed improved mental wellbeing six months on and 68% of young people at risk of exclusion from school before the programme were no longer at risk six months on (2024/25 impact data).
Challenge for Change Appeal launches as we celebrate 15 years of work and nearly 20,000 young people welcomed through our gates. The appeal will directly fund the expansion of residential programmes across our seven sites.
Jamie Feilden, Co-CEO and Founder of Jamie’s Farm, said: “Every day at Jamie’s Farm, we see the transformative power of young people getting stuck into real farming jobs in these beautiful landscapes, away from the pressures of mobile phones and social media. Young people often arrive to our farms feeling that the world has written them off, and they leave with genuine self-belief and renewed confidence.
“We are so proud of Kieran for taking this epic challenge on – he has overcome many challenges of his own through his life, and we have no doubt he will approach this with the same quiet determination.
“Challenge can be a genuine turning point and lead to lasting change – that’s why we named the campaign ‘Challenge for Change’. Kieran completely embodies this spirit.”
Supporters can sponsor Kieran’s walk, follow daily updates via the Jamie’s Farm website and social media, and directly donate to the Challenge for Change appeal through the campaign’s JustGiving page.
Follow Kieran’s journey
You can keep up-to-date with Kieran’s challenge on our live blog, or via our social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Please like, share and comment on our posts to spread the word and help Kieran reach his target!
